Age of Decadence - Now on Early Access

The Age of Decadence is an isometric, turn-based, single-player role-playing game set in a low magic, post-apocalyptic fantasy world, inspired by the fall of the Roman Empire. The game features a detailed skill-based character system, multiple skill-based ways to handle quests, choices & consequences, and extensive dialogue trees.

Traditionally, many fantasy RPGs are about killing things, clearing up dungeons, and being a hero. Now, there is nothing wrong with mindless fun and wish fulfillment, but we serve a different meal here. Quoting from one of the reviews:

“Well, if you want a hardcore, heavy metal roleplaying experience that challenges you, this is the ticket. Otherwise, take a pass. The game is vicious, both in its lack of morality and its merciless systems. If you want to be the hero of a story, run and don’t look back. If you want to be Attia of the Julii or be a power player, this is your RPG.”

The focus of the game is not on killing monsters, but rather on dealing with fellow humans and factions, trying to survive – easier said than done – and making a name for yourself. Naturally, to accommodate all that scheming, plotting, and backstabbing, we give the player plenty of choices, from multiple solutions to quests to different paths you can take through the game. You (and your actions) will determine who your friends and enemies are. There are no default good and bad guys.

(forget what I said about this version containing only one third of the game… we indeed were asked to test such limited version but it was NOT the early access version provided on Steam but an updated version of the demo that everybody can try for free - sorry for the confusion )

This game is awesome to play… and, I must say, to play again because the real interest of this game is to try different ways to do what you want, with different charaters. Because contrary to other RPGs in which, when you play another character, the quests are still the same [so basicaly you simply kill you ennemis a different way (if you were knight the first time you used a sword and if you were a magician the second time you used spells, but the quests and ennemies don't change so it's not interesting)], in AoD there are 8 different types of characters and they don't have the same quests or same way to succeed.

For example, if you choose a merchand, you are working for the Commercium, which, in the first city, wants to get ride of the Imperial Guards that are seen as an obstacle to business. While if you play an Imperial Guard, your goal is to enforce the law and order in the city (and even more but no spoiler), and impose higher tax on the Commercium in order to buy more weapons, so on, so the quests are differents because the goals are different. Also, you can play a "loremaster", so a guy basicaly quite neutral who will try to avoid taking side between Commercium and Imperial Guards, in order to try to collect artefacts… but in order to do so, he may have to work, at least temporarly, with one, or even both, sides. And so on. And it's the same thing for the other types of characters.
And, you can even play the same type of character but try a different way to succeed. For example, one way could be to go steal a certain document to show to the king that your ennemy is ploting something and get his support, or another way to get the support of the king could be to forge the document in question, and so on. There are tones of possibilities in this game !

For your information, this is not official, but by talking with the devs, I've learn that the final full version is expected for february/march 2014 if everything goes well.

… according to the AoD spokeperson it will be a bit later than what I was told some time ago, so I guess there are some delays or they prefer to play it safe. But, anyway, does it really matter if we have to wait 3 extra months when a game is so unique and captivating ?

Last edited by GroNolife; November 15th, 2013 at 16:54.
Reason: Missunderstanding on the content of the Early Access version

Originally Posted by GroNolife
For your information, this is not official, but by talking with the devs, I've learn that the final full version is expected for february/march 2014 if everything goes well.

Good to know, I been keeping an eye on this game for the last 3 years, checking in on it every 3-6 months and the lack of a "expected finish" date have been the only thing I didn't like about it.

Hopefully the game will be finished by february/march but I been waiting so long that I don't really care if it's 2014 or 2015.

Originally Posted by GroNolife
For your information, this is not official, but by talking with the devs, I've learn that the final full version is expected for february/march 2014 if everything goes well.

Thank you very much for all the info and for the release date.
Looking forward to play this complex game.

Originally Posted by GroNolife
Be warned that the early access version only gives you access to the first third of the game (the first city and its main related small locations, out of 3 cities and their own main related locations that will be available).

I know because I'm beta tester (currently we are testing the 2 first cities and their related small locations) and we've been asked to test the version planned for this release on Steam Early Access… which is more limited than what we were testing.

This is completely FALSE. The Early Access version contains both Teron and Maadoran.

It would be pretty dishonest and stupid of us if we would sell the demo that you can get for free, don't you think

Originally Posted by Elhoim
This is completely FALSE. The Early Access version contains both Teron and Maadoran.

It would be pretty dishonest and stupid of us if we would sell the demo that you can get for free, don't you think

Yes, I confirm that, since we were asked at the last minute to test in emergency the limited version and a few days later the announcement was made of a release to steam, I though both were linked but no… the version in question is an updated version of the free demo that everybody can get on the editor's site.

Sorry for that… it was an honest misstake. I love this game too much to try to spread bad info to hurt it.

Originally Posted by GroNolife
For your information, this is not official, but by talking with the devs, I've learn that the final full version is expected for february/march 2014 if everything goes well.

I'll buy it in february/march then.
If everything goes well. Which means - if someone says that the game contains humor.

Originally Posted by Firestorm
Good to know, I been keeping an eye on this game for the last 3 years, checking in on it every 3-6 months and the lack of a "expected finish" date have been the only thing I didn't like about it.

Hopefully the game will be finished by february/march but I been waiting so long that I don't really care if it's 2014 or 2015.

By 2014/2015 there will be RPGs that blow this game out of the water. In fact, there already are better options such as BG1 & 2 Enhanced on Steam.

Originally Posted by cptbarkey
Steam Early Access: counting the chickens before they hatched.

If the Star Citizen kickstarter is anything to go buy then unhatched chickens are the most valuable! Everyone just imagines what they want and that SC is it and throws money at their dreams. When the game comes out with a host of cut features but a whole heap of extra DLC monetizing they might actually come down to earth.

Originally Posted by you
Feb/march is horrible time frame; middle of D:OS/Wasteland 2/AOW3 releases

Don't forget Dark Souls 2 and Titanfall!

But back on topic,

I've been distantly following AoD since that first combat arena and I loved the demo. Trying to always take the combat option proved to be extremely difficult and at times I even considered taking the hardened veteran but felt I'd lose bragging rights if I did.

I did feel a bit like the leeway allowed for a win at times came down to reloading until I got a lucky die roll more than tactics, but this was a long time ago now with the first release of the demo, so my perspective might be inaccurate when applied to the current build.